“Tremble and do not sin. Speak in your hearts upon your bed,
and be still forever.” (Ps. 4:5)

According to third-century scholar Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish —
himself a well-known penitent — this verse outlines a
four-step program how to master the temptations of
the yeitzerhara, the evil inclination.

First, “Tremble and do not sin.” Awaken your innate
positive nature, your yeitzerhatov, and use its power to
counter any bad impulses.

If this does not work, then “speak in your hearts” -
engage in Torah study.

If that is not enough, then say the Shema prayer,
recited “on your bed” (before going to sleep).

And if that does not vanquish the negative impulse, then
“be still forever” — remind yourself of the day of death.
(Berachot 5a)

These are four useful tools for overcoming evil urges and
desires. But if the ultimate weapon in battling
the yeitzerhara is to reflect on human mortality and the transient
nature of life in this world, then why not use this method
right from the start? Why wait before bringing out our most
effective weapon?

1. Awaken the Inner Good

All of our characteristics, whether positive or negative,
are meant to be used for the good. Even bad traits, such as
jealousy, greed, and pride, have their place, and can be
sublimated for good purposes. If we weaken these negative
traits, they will not be available to help us attain
positive goals. The ideal is that all of our energies be
strong and healthy, with the negative traits firmly under
the control of our positive side.

It is natural that negative traits are more readily aroused.
Therefore, the first step in subduing them is to “awaken the
good inclinations” — to bring our good traits to the fore,
so that they will be in control and rule over the negative
ones.

2. Engage in Torah

It is enough to awaken the soul’s innate goodness if one has
a robust sense of morality and integrity. But those who have not
adequately refined their character must learn and internalize
knowledge of the proper path. Therefore, Rabbi
Shimon’s second advice was “to engage in Torah study.”

However, he was not referring to the study of Torah in general — that is
a mitzvah that obligates all. Rather, he meant specifically studying
those aspects of Torah that one is lacking. By
absorbing this knowledge, the penitent will then aspire
for the good, and will be able to overcome his negative
urges.

3. Inspire the Emotions

For some individuals, however, knowledge alone is
insufficient to awaken their inner good. For these people,
the soul has been so tarnished that the soul’s emotional
faculties need to be elevated. In order to uplift the
emotions — which have a stronger impact than abstract
intellectual knowledge — the third method is to recite the
Shema prayer.

The Shema is not simply a matter of intellectually
recognizing God’s oneness. Were that the case, it would be
sufficient to recite it at infrequent intervals, perhaps
once a year (like the mitzvah to remember the evil of
Amalek). The fact that we are commanded to recite the
Shema twice a day indicates that this mitzvah relates to
our faculties of emotion. The Shema is meant to instill
feelings of love and closeness to God; therefore it is
recited every morning and evening. This truth must be
constantly confirmed and renewed in the heart. It is a
continual spiritual need, like air to the soul. By inspiring
the emotions, we strengthen the intellect.

4. Ponder Life’s Transience

All of the first three steps share a common feature: they
work by strengthening the soul’s positive qualities. But if
evil impulses are still not overcome, then it becomes
necessary to weaken the negative traits. This is the final
step, to “remind oneself of the day of death.” Reflecting on
our mortality serves to restrain the lures of false
imaginings that inflate the importance of worldly pleasures.

However, if it is possible to strengthen the positive
forces, this is the preferred method. For once we start
weakening the forces of the soul, we also weaken positive
energies.